Tacloban City – The Department of Health officials recognized the mayors of Cebu and Negros Oriental implementing Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP) for achieving 100 % of the Performance Based Grant (PBG). The recognition was made during the Mayor’s Forum on Nutrition Governance Visayas leg held on 12 July 2024 in a hotel in the city.
Dr. Gloria J. Balboa OIC-Undersecretary for Area III (Visayas) of the Department of Health’s Universal Health Care Health Services Cluster and Project Director of PMNP led the DOH officials who gave recognition to all 235 local government units (LGUs) across the Visayas region.
The forum marked a major accomplishment for the Visayas as this accomplishment is proof of the dedication and commitment of the LGUs to the nutrition program, said Balboa in her message. The grant also ensures that programs and projects that these LGUs had planned for will have enough resources to be implemented.
Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho “Icot” Petilla, delivered an inspiring message, emphasizing the importance of proper nutrition for children’s development. He stated, “As long as they have the proper nutrition, they’ll have a chance to recover later on”.
The forum also featured a panel discussion with mayors who shared their nutritional challenges and commitments in their respective municipalities. Mayor Mel Nick S. Logronio of San Jose, Negros Oriental promised financial transparency. “We will make sure that every centavo of this project will be spent on people who need this money,” Mayor Logronio said.
While Mayor Greman B. Solante of Tudela, Cebu emphasized effective implementation with national support. “On that direction to address the malnutrition, with the support coming from the national government through this PMNP, it is now in our hands how to implement effectively for us to achieve our goal for health and nutrition in our respective town,” Mayor Solante expressed.
Mayors Logronio and Solante were joined by 17 other mayors in Central Visayas who attended the forum. In the region, the PMNP covers twenty-four (24) LGUs; 16 municipalities in Cebu province and 8 municipalities in Negros Oriental province.
The PMNP is a four-year project led by the DOH and Department of Social Welfare and Development supported by NNC and DILG that aimed to increase utilization of a package of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions and improve key behaviors and practices known to reduce stunting in targeted project municipalities.
The PMNP Mayor’s Forum on Nutritional Governance focuses on the importance of collaboration and shared commitment of the local leaders and health officials. With the dedication of the LGUs, the goal of strengthening the nutrition policies, optimizing resources, and enhancing interventions towards Universal Health Care is closer. //Eiraliz Cassandra A. Ferrer, Intern, CTU
Photo source: DOH Central Visayas CHD.